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| 6 historical sites |
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(Issue 9 - Oct 2010) Want to journey back in time? There are plenty of opportunities to visit some incredible historical sites throughout the Caribbean – just take a trip to these LIAT destinations... 1. Dockyard English Harbour, Antigua Named after Admiral Horatio Nelson, a captain in the Leeward Islands from 1784-87. Construction of Nelson’s Dockyard began in 1725. Used throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, this Royal Navy base was abandoned in 1889, but 10 buildings were restored in 1951 and it is now the only Georgian naval base still in operation. The Dockyard Museum contains ship models, area mock-ups, displays on the dockyard’s workers, ships of the day, antique navigational instruments, and historic relics including Nelson’s telescope and tea caddy. For information call (268) 460-1379 or visit www.antiguamuseums.org/nelsonsdockyard.htm 2. Christiansted St Croix, US Virgin Islands The Spanish, French, Dutch and English carved up much of the Caribbean for colonial gain, but Denmark also had regional ambitions. Capital of the Danish West Indies was Christiansted, an economic hub for trading sugar, rum and molasses during the 18th and 19th centuries. It retained its European charm by safeguarding colonial Danish architecture – solid stone buildings in pastel shades with red tile roofing. Take a walking tour along its cobblestone sidewalks and visit the Christiansted National Historic Site containing Fort Christiansvaern, the Danish West India & Guinea Company Warehouse, the Steeple Building, Danish Custom House and the Scale House. Visit www.usvitourism.vi 3. Mystery Tombstone Plymouth, Tobago For something different follow Tobago’s Leeward Coastline to Plymouth, where an intriguing memorial has left visitors and locals alike bemused for centuries. In Commissioner Street, near the Courlander Monument, the gravestone of Betty Stiven, which bears an enigmatic inscription, can be found. Can you solve the riddle? It reads: “Within the walls are the bodies of Mrs Betty Stiven and her child... What was remarkable of her, she was a mother without knowing it and a wife without letting her husband know it, except by her indulgences to him.” Visit www.visittobago.gov.tt 4. Zona Colonial, Dominican Republic Ciudad Colonial (Spanish for Colonial City), known colloquially as ‘Zona Colonial’, is the first Spanish settlement in the New World and was a foothold from which incursions onto the American mainland were launched. It is now part of Santo Domingo, the ‘city of firsts’, and possesses the first cathedral, monastery, university, customs house and hospital in the Americas. The district, covering less than five square kilometres, dates back to the early 1500s. Wander the 12 blocks of historical streets, taking in landmarks such as the Alcazar de Colon, Fortaleza Ozama and the Catedral Primada de America, and transport yourself back to the days of Christopher Columbus. Visit www.godominicanrepublic.com 5. The Brimstone Hill Fortress Taylor’s Range, Basseterre, St Kitts Known as ‘The Gibraltar of the West Indies’, Brimstone Hill Fortress - built between 1690 and 1790 - stands 800ft high on a promontory overlooking the Caribbean. Constructed largely from the rock on which it stands, it is a monument to the ingenuity of the British military engineers who designed it, and to the skill, strength and endurance of the African slaves who built it. One of the best preserved historical fortifications in the Americas, its historical, cultural and architectural significance saw it designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Open every day (except Christmas Day and Good Friday) 9.30am-5.30pm. Entrance US$8; children half-price. Call (869) 4652609, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.brimstonehillfortress.org 6. Indian Caribbean Museum Waterloo, Trinidad Africa’s influence on Caribbean history is well-known, but less celebrated is the story of thousands of East Indian indentured labourers transported to fill the employment void following slavery’s 1838 abolition. From 1838-1917 around half-a-million East Indians (including 240,000 to Guyana and 144,000 to Trinidad) were transported. The Indian Caribbean Museum, near Waterloo’s Temple in the Sea, tells their 170-year story. Opened in 2006, it features artefacts (including rare musical instruments, agricultural objects, cooking utensils, clothing, photographs and historical books), a computerised genealogical database, an art gallery, reference library, regular screenings of historical films/documentaries and a botanical garden with plants of Indian origin. Open Wed-Sun, 10am-5pm, free admission. |
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